Film-Criticism and Cinema-Press in Russia

The history of Russian cinema-critics will be written some day, including the main stages, currents and directions, «the revolution's romanticism» of the twenties, «the ideological conservatism» of thirties and forties, «the thaw» of the fifties and sixties, «the stagnation» of seventies, the problems the capital and provincial cinema-critics, etc.

My intentions here are more modest - to chronicle the situation in the nineties, when the former leaders of the profession (Rostislav Urenev, Georgy Kapralov, Alexander Karaganov) were removed for various reasons, or became TV-journalists (Boris Berman, Sergey Sholokhov and Petr Shepotinik). Others (Victor Demin, Georgy Bogemsky, Vladimir Baskakov, Valery Turovskoy), left us for a better world...

«Reading Hall» (editor-in-chief of Alexander Troshin) - vastly simplifies the access to the statistics of the articles published by Russian cinema-critics. From the Russian «old guard» of cinema-critics, only a few preserved their positions: Lev Anninsky, Jury Bogomolov, Myron Chernenko, Kirill Razlogov and Alexander Braginsky, each of them publishing an average of ten articles a year. The leading Russian cinema-columnists (Jury Gladiltsikov, Leonid Pavluchik, Victor Matisen and others) publish 30-40 articles per annum. The «critics-stars» of the «Perestroika» Alexei Erohin, Alexander Timofeevsky, Viacheslav Shmyrov and Sergey Lavrentiev have less articles to their credit, despite the fact that given their nontrivial method of criticism, each of them could, probably, be at the head of his own cinema magazine.

The new names on the firmament of Russian cinema-critics include Statislav F. Rostotsky, Elena Telingator, Dmitry Savosin, Georgy Samsonov. Their articles are more frequent than ever in the Russian press. However, only Dmitry Savosin tends to continue the glorious tradition of «francophone» Alexander Braginsky. A big group of young critics works now in the new magazine «Premiere» - the analog of French-American «Premiere» for young readers.

But the only true leaders of cinema criticism in the nineties are Andrei Plakhov and Sergey Kudriavtsev. They publish annually about 100 articles, reviews, portraits of actors and directors. Sergey Kudriavtsev also published 3 volumes of video-cinemacatalogue-encyclopedias and the special books «All is Cinema» & «Our Cinema»...

Since the mid-eighties, Andrei Plakhov has become the most active participant in international cinema-festivals. He did not miss, probably, any important cinema events during that period. His reports are analytical, ironical and professional. Sergey Kudriavtsev, as a rule, sees the films in Moscow, but his efficiency is astounding. He writes thousands of voluminous reviews and portraits, including detailed lists of all prizewinners, be it the Oscars, Cesars, Palmes d'Or, Golden Lions, etc. Many other Russian journalists, less known, lacking the necessary preparation, with modest baggage of knowledge, abilities and talent, systematically write about cinema and travel to festivals. But Kudriavtsev does not enjoy this privilege...

The articles of Sergey Kudriavtsev and Andrei Plakhov stand out due to their high degree of professionalism (the lucky absence «scientific» style) and the love for Cinema Art.

Certainly, in the age of computers and satellite, television tends to be more prestigious then cinema. The audience for TV-critics is now enormous. And many critics find it much easier to speak or to interview than to write the articles. Which makes «non-television» people such as Sergey Kudriavtsev and Andrei Plakhov, look like old-fashioned traditionalists. But since when are all critics supposed to be avanguardists!

Else 15 years ago the situation in Russian cinema-press thread seems stable: for mass-audience was released magazine «Soviet Ecran» with million by circulations and advertising review «Satellite of Cinema-Viewer». For elite audience - fat magazine «Cinema Art», for cinema-distributors - monthly magazines «Soviet Film», «Projectionist» and «New Films», for amateurs of the dramaturgy - magazine «Screenplays». Materials about movies regularly emerged on the leaves ordinary press is and all...

Compared with dozens French or American periodical cinema-press this is was, certainly, drop in sea. That is why Gorbachov's liberalization immediately led to appearance the new cinema-magazines. With the emergence of Petersburg's «Séance», with European style and the intellectual reflection of Russian cinema-critics of the young generation, Moscow lost its old monopoly in cinema-press. But in the early '90s Moscow's critic Vladimir Borev made the publishing home «Video-Ace Magazine's bouquet: «Video-Ace», «Video-Ace Premier», «Video-Ace Express», «Video-Ace Sunrise», «Video-Ace Favorite», «Video-Ace Satellite», «Video-Ace Crown», «Video-Ace Dandy», etc.

Truth, the first outputs of this magazines had very modest polygraphy, but soon financial backing of several Moscow's banks and working agreement with one of top French publishers carried out «Video-Ace» on entirely European level color photo-design and scope about 200 leaves of big format. In that or another key magazines of «Video-Ace» from the very beginning were oriented generally on Hollywood cinema, the portraits of top directors, interview, hit-parades, reportages from the largest festivals, information about video-techniques, video-pirates and legal video-firms.

Almost simultaneously with «Video-Ace» other cinema-press appeared in Moscow: «Video-Digest» (Editor Vsevolod Vilchek), weekly newspaper «Ecran and Scene», epatage newspaper «Cinema Home», magazine «Cinema-Eye» (about cinema-business) based by the group of the authors of the «youths of outputs» in «Soviet Ecran», professional and academic «Cinema-critics' Memos» (Editor Alexander Troshin from Scientific Institute of Cinema, Moscow) and modest little magazine «Opinions» about new Russian films. The boom of the periodical press of end '80s - early '90s also concern cinema-press. For account of the several sensational publications increased the circulation of «Cinema Art». Magazine «Ecran» losing at new redactor Victor Demin (1936-1993) its prior adjective «Soviet», as before retained auditorium of readers. How mushrooms after rain, unfortunately, with the same duration of existence, steel to emerge another issues of cinema-press («Cinema-Video Review», «Film and Video Reporter» and so on.): let with pore by bad quality seals, but with great titles.

But everything was changed after the beginning of Eltsin's reforms. Existing state budget «Opinions» closed. Due to the same financial causes not get till ninth number, was gone in history «Video-Digest». Was concealed with banking money, the magazine's bouquet of «Video-Ace» (200 pages) fading directly on eyes. With larger temporary intervals steel to come out «Ecran» (despite the heroic attempts of new editor Boris Pinsky) and «Cinema-Eye». Obviously not from good life were poured out under one binder «New Films» and «Projectionist». Last NN of «Video-Ace» & «Ecran» was published in summer of 1998. It is very difficult to publish something without of money...

Only «Cinema Art» (though even greatly losing in circulation: from 50,000 to 5,000) was successful publishes (with the grant's help). Thread seem, situation existing in Russian cinema press, logically reflected common painting in domestic cinema (blunt abbreviation film-production, economic difficulties, etc.).

And, contrary to all forecasts, in end of '90s Alexander Semenov founded the new «Video-magazine» (for distributors of videos) and old editor of «Video-Ace Express» Georgy Samsonov founded magazine «Film». New Russian cinema-paper for professionals were borne at the end of 1998: «SK-News» (The News of Union of Russian Filmmakers»). Also gave to start to right away several new magazines about movies and video. In may 1997 appeared of Russian edition «Premiere», a la French-American samples: qualitative paper, excellent colors, the absence of pirates' photos... To the editorial office honor must badge, what she was not was limited by the translations of the clauses of its foreign partners: the better half of 100-pages scope occupied material about Russian cinema, video, sound and computer. Another new magazine (60 pages) is «Cinema-Park» at the same colors and Hollywood orientation. Incidentally, unlike Western «Premiere», «Cinema-Park» has more Russian. However on today's Russian market they do not only compose serious competition, but also residing as to essence on one genre-thematically floor of bulks each other for right of to be the most popular Russian cinema-press. What it: rejuvenation of Russian cinema-press, or artificial reanimation of detrimental business? Shall-see...